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a R E S O L U T I O N o f

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE

T E X A S C R I M I N A L DEFENSE L A W Y E R S A S S O C I A T I O N

BE IT REMEMBERED thaton the 9!h day ofMarch 2013, the elected Board ofDirectors

ofTheTexasCriminalDefenseLawyersAssociation (TCDLA)assembled inDallas,Dallas

County, Texas, at its regularly scheduled quarterly meeting; the meeting was called to order by the

President-elect, in absence ofthe President; after a roll call was taken and the members present were

counted it was determined by the Secretary that a quorum was present and the meeting of the

TCDLA Board o f Directors was ca ll ed to order.

WHEREAS, it was called to the Board ofDirector's attention for discussion that legislation

had been proposed to the Texas Legislature that would, if enacted, require criminal defense

attorneys, and members of the association, to make confidential client information and disclosures

to prosecutors for the government. It was further called to the attention of the Board ofDirectors

this legislation was being promoted by the Texas Defender Service ("TDS"). TDS has taken a

positionthat is adverse to the interestsof themembersof the TCDLAon this legislation. The TDS

has represented to the public and to legislators that this legislation is supported by the criminal

defense bar. The members of the board expressed concern that legislators maybelieve that TDS

represents or speaks for the TDCLA. The members of the board of directors ofTCDLA voted to

resolve as follows:

BE IT RESOLVED that the TCDLA opposes any legislation that would allow the

government to deny thecitizen a defenseor invadethe sanctityof the defense counsel's files. The

TCDLA opposes anygovernmental intrusion into thepapers, effects or files of the lawyers for the

citizen accused ofcrime. Forthesereasons theTCDLA opposestheso-called"reciprocaldiscovery"

legislation thathasbeen proposed andotherwise known asSenate Bill 1611. And noperson other

than the individualsdelegated by the Board is authorized to speak for TCDLA on this issue to law

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makers.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the TCDLA, in its representative capacity, on behalf

of 3200 members located in all counties in Texas, states that its legislative spokespersons are the

only individuals who are authorized to speak for the TCDLA and further that the Board has

designatedAttorneyAllen Place and his aides as the sole authority to represent TCDLA before the

Legislatureof the State ofTexas.

NOW THEREFORE, be itknownand published that the Board ofDirectorsoftheTCDLA

has RESOLVED to oppose any bill or law containing any reciprocal discovery element; that the

representatives ofTCDLA are available at all times to discuss any criminal justice legislation; that

the TCDLA urges legislation that truly deals with violations byprosecutors and/or police ofthe rule

in Brady v. Maryland; that the expertise and resourcesof theTCDLA are available to legislators;

that no third party is authorized to represent the TCDLA before the Texas Legislature other than its

duly authorized representatives Attorney Allen Place and his aides.

BE IT SO RESOLVED inDallas, Texason this 9th dayofMarch2013.

T e x a s C r i m i n a l D e f e n s e L a w y e r s A s s o c i a t i o n